The Right Kind of Phrase
by ItsADuckStupid
Summary: Jennifer Anderson transfers to Hogwarts in her fifth year to show her support to Dumbledore and make a statement to the Ministry of Magic. [Chapter Four]
1. Owl Flights

Title: The Right Kind of Phrase 

Author: Duck

Disclaimer: I own nothing, especially not the wonderful HP books, or even the title, which belongs to a Jason Mraz song. 

Rating: PG

Genre: Just HP stuff. 

Summary: Jennifer Anderson transfers to Hogwarts in her fifth year to show her support to Dumbledore and make a statement to the Ministry of Magic. 

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fanfic because my friend asked me to write it for her, so forgive me if there's a story like this out there. I've never read HP fanfic, so I wouldn't know. Reviews are always appreciated. I hope you enjoy my venture into the HP fanfic world. 

"The Right Kind of Phrase" Chapter One: "Owl Flights" Tap tap. 

The girl on the other side of the window rolled over and pulled the red and black plaid closer to her body.

TAP TAP. 

Again, the noise was ignored, and the girl dreamed of watching famous tap dancers move around the stage in unison, which had abruptly interrupted her previous dream about fingernail polish. It had been dripping onto the floor, and then there were tap dancers and—

TAP TAP. 

"I'll be RIGHT THERE. God. Don't MOLT or anything," Jennifer Anderson snarled as she ripped the warm comforter off and slid her feet into the waiting pink slippers on the floor. The offending owl was glaring at her with large amber eyes, snapping his beak as if he would like to take a snip at her. When she pulled the window up, however, the owl merely stuck his talon under her nose expectantly, and she dropped a bronze knut into the pouch attached there. 

The _Daily Prophet _was on her windowsill, teetering near the edge so that she barely managed to grab it before it fell two stories into the hedges below. The tawny owl clicked his beak with a smug expression and flew off. 

Jennifer grumbled, "Stupid California owls. Always in a freaking rush," under her breath as she opened up the newspaper. It was in fact a British paper, but she had found the American paper to be quite uninteresting; it barely had anything of true value. Until recently, the _Daily Prophet _had been her window into the European wizard life; now she was thoroughly disgusted by the claims laid by the British Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore was the greatest wizard alive and they were all fools if they didn't realize it. The only reason she continued to read the paper was because she hated being ignorant of the outside world. 

Summer vacation was ending quickly, almost too quickly in Jennifer's opinion. The letter she had sent out at the beginning of vacation had never been replied to, and it burned her that she had been ignored. Well, she reasoned, not exactly _burned, _but very disappointed. Returning to the Salem Institute was not very appealing now that she'd gotten her hopes up in attending a different school, but she'd have to make do. It was unheard of to transfer to another school and there was no way she couldn't _not _go to school; if she returned to a muggle high school she'd fail every subject, not to mention be the reject because of her long absence in a boarding school. 

'Letters should be here soon,' she thought miserably as she threw the _Daily Prophet _into the trashcan by her desk. Three or four tossed papers accompanied it; all were mostly unread and the pictures still moved animatedly. Jennifer's school supplies were spread throughout the room; her owl, Sam, was sleeping with his head under his wing on the stand by her dresser. She stroked his wing gently, waking him. His huge eyes questioned her as she petted his feathers. "Need to ask Sarah if she can take me to the train station this year, since Grandma and Grandpa will be here. They still think I go to some boarding school in Switzerland." She tied the letter to his leg, and kissed his head. He hooted in response and took off through the open window. 

Sam was probably her closest friend at Salem besides Sarah; she found that making friends came difficult to her. Unsure if it was because she was imposing or just unfriendly, she stayed away from the girls who would glance at her and giggle. 

Sighing, she turned on her stereo and began her daily stretch, losing herself in the pull of her muscles and breathing. Dancing and witchcraft were her passions, which allowed her to be athletic and very adept at magic. Even from muggle parents she had developed great skill in every aspect of learning at Salem, quickly earning a reputation for being 'the smart ballerina'. 

Thirty minutes later she was dressed and downstairs, watching her mother make waffles with an old fashioned waffle iron. "Mom, I think you left that one in long enough," she warned, and her mother opened the iron just in time to save it.

"Thanks, Jenny. Grab the syrup and set the table. Nana and Grampa should be down soon."

Obediently Jennifer set the table, and sure enough, her elderly grandparents ambled down the stairs to kiss her cheek and sit down. Once the food was placed in front of everyone, her dad joined them, newspaper tucked under his arm. "So Jenny," Nana said between mouthfuls, "You itching to get back to that school of yours? Gotta be pretty year round."

To keep herself from lying out loud, Jenny nodded around some waffle. It was difficult to lie to her family, but her Grandma was not fond of magic in the least; in fact, if she had known that her granddaughter was going off to a school that taught witchcraft, she'd disown her, or call an exorcist. So to avoid complications, Jennifer's parents had decided not to tell anyone, not even their closest family. 

_'It'll be great when I disappear one day and become an Auror,' _Jennifer thought as she kept her eyes on her food. _'Wonder what they'll tell everyone then.'_

The letter was an absolute shock to them; at least it had come by regular mail, but there was not a drop of magic in either side of her family trees, or if there was, no one had been told about it. Jennifer had accepted without hesitation although she'd had to plead to get her parents to understand why she wanted to go so badly.

For as long as she could remember she'd read stories about magic and been fascinated by it, and then there was the chance for her to actually live the life of a witch. It was inconceivable to turn down such an offer. They relented, eventually, and she was now currently entering her fifth year at Salem Institute. 

"You up for an early walk, Jenny? I gotta stop these old bones from creakin', and company would sure be nice," Grampa said after he finished his meal. Under normal circumstances she would have readily agreed, but something inside her head was nagging at her to get back up the stairs and into her room.

"I would Grampa, but I forgot I have some last minute summer homework to finish. Forgive me if I bail on you this time?" 

Grampa stood up and gave his granddaughter a kiss on the cheek. "You just do your work, Jenny, because the harder you work now, the more it'll pay off later. Is this school getting you ready for the real world?"

She nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ears, as was her custom when she was feeling cornered. "It's preparing me well, don't worry, Grampa. I'll be fine when I graduate." 

He smiled and then went upstairs to get his walking clothes on. She couldn't help but feel bad for not agreeing to go with him, but she washed her plate in the sink hurriedly and headed upstairs. The nagging sensation in her mind was growing stronger as she neared her bedroom, and she warily turned the nickel brushed doorknob and peered around it, as if expecting to be attacked. 

The curtains at her window breezed airily around, as if they were feeling playful, and she realized she had forgot to shut the window when Sam had flown out.  When she reached it, however, she gasped loudly. 

Sitting on her windowsill was a great big tawny owl, waiting patiently it seemed, however that was not what shocked her. The letter the owl carried bore the crest of Hogwarts. Trembling, Jennifer took the envelope from the owl, and it flew away majestically, causing her curtains to flutter even more. 

She willed her wildly beating heart to calm, getting her hopes up was useless when the letter might only contain a sympathetic rejection, or perhaps a 'thanks but no thanks'. But if she was granted what she asked…_'Stop torturing yourself. Just open it.' _

Breaking the seal with shaky fingers was difficult, but she managed, and when she unfolded the letter she let out a soft scream of disbelief.__

_Dear Miss Anderson, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall_  

A huge grin spread across her face and she had to resist the urge to start dancing in the middle of her bedroom. '_I got in! I got in!' _she rejoiced silently, hugging herself. Warmth bloomed in her chest and spread to her fingertips, filling her head to toe with happiness. _'I'm going to Hogwarts!'_

***


	2. Hogwarts Express

Chapter Two: Hogwarts Express 

Protocol for Hogwarts was much like Salem in which she had to pass through an invisible barrier, but as far as Jennifer could tell, that was the only similarity. She had found, once she had managed to stop rereading the acceptance letter, that two other pieces of parchment accompanied it. The first was the list mentioned in the letter complete with books and equipment that she had picked up at Golden Avenue the week before, and the second a set of directions that allowed her to end up where she was at that moment. 

Glancing around her, Jennifer noted that the compartment was paneled with a honey colored oak and the seats were covered with rich velvet cushions, giving her a feeling of comfort and security. Her eyelids drooped and suddenly the compartment was a nice warm temperature. Snuggling into her jacket she remembered how tiring the plane trip had been; she'd gotten absolutely no sleep between the old man and the lady who had kept asking her asinine questions about her family. And then the hour long taxi to get to the train station only to find she had no idea how to get to the invisible platform 9 ¾. Only by leaning against the barrier because she was tired did she find the entrance. 

After she'd managed to get over the shock of falling through a brick wall, she'd taken the time to notice the clock at the station; she was two hours early. Luckily the train had already arrived, and although she was the first passenger onboard she took the compartment in the very back. She was unsure of how she would be welcomed to Hogwarts considering most of the students probably agreed with the Ministry of Magic and wanted to avoid a confrontation right away. 

_'Maybe I'll be able to start over here and not come off as such an unfriendly person,' _she thought sleepily. Waves of comfort washed over her until she finally gave up the battle to stay awake and fell asleep against the window.

***

"Harry!" Ginny's voice rang out over the heads of several boys in the corridor. "Over here! I got us a compartment."

Harry made his way past the boys and to the open door, sighing when he finally threw himself on one of the benches. It just wasn't right to be traveling on Hogwarts express without Ron by his side. "Watch it Harry," Ginny warned, and Harry took a moment to see that he was sitting next to a slumbering girl. 

"Who-" he was interrupted by Ginny's scowl, and he lowered his voice, "Who is she? I don't recognize her."

Ginny merely shrugged. "No idea. She doesn't look young enough to be a first year though, so she must be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Strange that she's not sitting by anyone though."

Harry nodded, and tried to examine the girl without getting any closer. She looked like a fourth or fifth year at least, with short red brown hair and glasses perched on her nose precariously, probably shifted by sleeping. Her clothes were muggle through and through; there was no doubt in his mind that she came from muggle parents, especially when he noticed the airplane itinerary sticking out of the pocket of her pea coat. 

Neville interrupted his search by joining them in the compartment. In his hand was some sort of cactus looking plant; he said the name but it flew right over Harry's head. He didn't know the mysterious girl's identity either, but it was hardly surprising, considering Neville's memory. 

They talked quietly about their holiday as the girl slept on obliviously. Harry's eyes kept drifting to the itinerary; if he could only look at it he could tell who she was and where she was from. Unwillingly his hand drifted closer and closer until it was only an inch away from the girls coat---

---and Ron burst into the compartment with a look of hatred on his face. "Guess who else became a prefect?" he exploded angrily at Harry, who felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"That's right. Malfoy. Malfoy is a prefect. Little bastard had the nerve to comment to Hermione that he was surprised they allowed mudbloods to become prefects. I was ready to—" Ron stopped mid rant and a strange expression crossed his face. It was a mixture of curiosity and something Harry couldn't quite identify. "Who is that?" He pointed to the girl who had been roused by the shouting and was now rubbing her eyes. 

"Not the foggiest," Harry replied. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Ron's eyes widened slightly. "Me? Why not you?"

"Because I'm not the one that's asking, am I?" he replied, smiling smugly at the expression on Ron's face. He looked positively terrified. 

Ginny rolled her eyes and muttered, "_boys,_" under her breath before moving closer to the girl. "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley. I've never seen you around Hogwarts, are you a first year?"

"Jennifer Anderson," she answered sleepily, "And no, I'm actually a fifth year. Nice to meet you," she smiled, trying to expel the sleepiness from her voice. It was difficult considering she was making up for nearly eighteen hours, but she managed. Looking up to Ron, who was still standing, she raised an eyebrow. 

His mouth was still a little open, and it took Harry elbowing him in the ribs to snap out of the stupor he was in. "Uhh…hi…oh, right, um, I'm Ron Weasley." Jennifer stuck out her hand and he looked at it as if it were covered in purple fur before realizing that he was supposed to shake it. 

Harry was a little cooler with his introduction. "Harry Potter." She shook his hand as well, and much to Harry's surprise, her eyes did not flick to his forehead for an instant. Neville, who had been petting his cactus silently throughout the exchange, looked up and said, "Neville Longbottom," in a very shy voice before returning his gaze to his plant. 

Ginny was a little taken aback, and not just by what Jennifer had said, but _how_ she had said it. "Are you American?" she asked, trying not to sound accusing. It really didn't matter, but the accent was undoubtedly American sounding, and from what she knew there were no American students at Hogwarts.  

Jennifer nodded. "I came from the Salem Institute in America. This will be my first year at Hogwarts."

The four occupants of the compartment gaped slightly at her. A new fifth year to Hogwarts? It was unheard of.  

She yawned widely, bringing the back of her hand up to cover her mouth. "Sorry, but I got off a sixteen hour plane ride before this," she explained, "For some reason I can never sleep on planes."

Ron, Ginny, and Neville looked at her as if she'd just claimed that she had jumped from one end of the Grand Canyon to the other. "Is that one of those things that flies with people inside?" Ginny asked after a few moments of silence. 

Harry and Jennifer nodded, both unwilling to go into the mechanics of an airplane. Ginny shook her head and remembered what she had been asking previous the confusing plain comment. "Why are you at Hogwarts just now? Was the Salem place no good?"

In her mind, Jennifer had been rehearsing what she would tell everyone, but it disappeared as soon as the actual question was asked. But then she looked around the compartment, and she realized she was with the few people that would actually agree with her reasons. Confidence returned, and the story spilled out. 

"I wrote Professor Dumbledore a letter at the end of last year requesting that I be admitted to Hogwarts in my fifth year so that I could prove that not everyone believed the _Daily Prophet_ and the British Ministry of Magic. I didn't get a response all summer, so I assumed that meant it had either never gotten to him, or he had just chosen to ignore it, but two weeks before term started I got the acceptance letter. Honestly, I don't know if my being here makes a statement or proves anything, but I'm just glad I'll be in the safest place I can be, which is near Albus Dumbledore." She took a breath in before looking into anyone's face, but when she did she found that they were all looking at her with an expression of gratitude. Jennifer turned herself towards Harry.

"I believe you, and the Ministry is foolish not to believe you too."

He nodded gratefully. "Thank you." 

The compartment door opened then, revealing a slightly pissed looking Hermione, who sat herself down next to Ginny and nodded to Ron absentmindedly. "Your turn to patrol. Watch for the first years in the first compartment, they're extremely rude."

Ron scowled and made to leave, but before he exited he turned to Jennifer and managed to smile a little. "Nice to meet you, Jennifer," he waved and then shut the door behind him. 

Hermione looked up into Jennifer's face and stuck out her hand politely. "Hermione Granger." 

As Jennifer shook it, she replied, "Jennifer Anderson. I've transferred from Salem Institute."

Hermione's eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Ooh! I've read about the Salem Institute, in Massachusetts near Salem where the famous Salem Witch trials occurred."

Jennifer laughed, "Yea, that's right."

Ginny filled Hermione in on what she missed, and when Ginny was done explaining, Hermione smiled broadly at Jennifer. "I hope you enjoy Hogwarts."

"Me too." Jennifer yawned again, and as the others in the compartment began to converse her eyelids started to droop once more, and it wasn't long before she fell sound asleep all over again. 

Hermione was the first to notice, and nodded towards the slumbering girl. "It seems kind of stupid that she would transfer in her fifth year. What could she be thinking, we have to get ready for O.W.L.S.!"

Harry shrugged. "Does it really matter? She's here for Dumbledore, and anyone that's willing to prove Dumbledore's sanity is alright by my book," he spoke quietly, and then said "Ron seemed to like her," with a grin. 

Hermione rolled her eyes, and Ginny snorted. "Ron doesn't know what to do with himself when he has to talk to a girl he's never met before," Ginny snickered. "Mum introduced her friend's daughter to him a few years ago and he nearly spilled the bottle of butter beer he was drinking down the poor girl's robes."

Their talk continued until about ten minutes before they were due and Hogwarts, and Hermione woke Jennifer up by shaking her gently. "Jennifer, we're almost there. We have to put on our robes."

Blinking her eyes sleepily, she made out where she was and nodded. Soon, all five students had their black robes on, Jennifer the only one missing a house crest. "You're all in Gryffindor? " She was not really surprised, students tended to hang out with the members of their house.

Hermione glanced at Jennifer, a curious glint in her eyes. "I wonder how they're going to sort you," she pondered, but her musings were interrupted by the jolt of the train stopping. They made their way to the crowded exit, getting jostled by first years as they went.

Harry grinned at Jennifer's shocked face as they stepped out of the train. "Welcome to Hogwarts." 

TBC… 


	3. A First Year Fifth Year

Chapter Three: 'A First Year Fifth Year' 

The castle was illuminated in the distance, giving it a very mystical presence, and the image sent shivers down Jennifer's spine. There were no pictures in _Hogwarts, A History,_ so this was her first picture of the school she would spend a year at. A woman's voice was heard in the distance, "First years, this way," and for a moment Jennifer had no idea where she was supposed to go. She was a fifth year in schooling, but it was her first year at Hogwarts. 

Harry and the rest of the members in her compartment walked over to a powder blue carriage; pulled by…well…nothing. She followed after a moment's hesitation, and climbed up beside them. The ride there was filled with small talk, but Jennifer did not participate. Butterflies filled her stomach as she wondered what would happen once she got to the castle. Hermione had said something about being 'sorted', and Jennifer was sure that meant into the four different houses. 

At Salem Institute there was the boys and girl's dormitories, but no houses. For several hundred years the Institute had been exclusively for witchcraft, but in the last century boys had been accepted as well. _'Not that it really mattered,_' Jennifer thought with a grimace. She had a hard enough time making friends with girls, let alone boys.

_'I'm starting over,'_ she resolved. _'Hogwarts will be different'_

The carriage stopped abruptly, casting Jennifer forward, in her daydream state she had been unable to hold onto anything, and found herself grasping Ron's forearms. He blushed straight up to the roots of his hair, and Jennifer let go quickly. "Sorry," she apologized, and he managed a high-pitched squeak in response. 

Everyone hopped out and walked up the steps to the castle, Ron still bright red and standing as far from Jennifer as he could. The butterflies that had been expelled by the surprise of stopping came back full force, thudding between Jennifer's ribs, making their existence painfully known. Breathing became difficult and for a split second Jennifer thought she might be having a panic attack. _'Stop it,'_ she commanded, _'Stop doing this to yourself. Calm the hell down.'_

The ceiling was very high, and the halls were covered in paintings that spoke to each other and moved around. She was used to it; although Salem didn't have nearly as many, there were paintings in some hallways and the library. Mr. Jennings of the second floor hallway had become rather helpful during her first year at Salem, often following her to class to make sure she made it on time. 

"Jennifer?" Hermione asked, gently touching her arm. Unknowingly she had stopped in front of a painting that resembled her grandfather, but continued walking when she heard Hermione's voice. "Jennifer, don't be nervous. Most everyone is friendly," Hermione tried to comfort her, and she smiled gratefully. 

Before they reached a huge doorway that ended the hallway, a rather old looking witch stopped their group. "Jennifer Anderson?" she asked, peering down her spectacles at the frightened girl.

"Yes?"

"Come with me, please." She turned on her heel sharply, and Jennifer hurried to keep up with her. They entered a room filled with young students, first years, Jennifer assumed, by the terrified expressions on their faces. At least a head taller than everyone in the room, Jennifer felt like a giant, and turned to the older witch questioningly. 

"Since you are a special case, Jennifer, you will be sorted first. Do you know about the houses of Hogwarts?"

"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin," Jennifer listed, double-checking in her mind that she got them all right. 

The witch nodded. "Correct. Professor Dumbledore is informing the school of your special case and once you are sorted, we will continue with the first years. Are you ready?"

Taking in a shaky breath, she nodded, and the witch escorted her back into the hallway she started out in, and through two huge double doors into the largest hall she'd ever been it. It was lit by thousands of floating candles, and the ceiling looked exactly like the starry night sky. Four long tables took up the space in the center, and most of the students were already situated there. Dumbledore's voice reached her as she walked, and her stomach began to churn when she realized he was talking about her.

"This year we have a special guest to our school. A fifth year has transferred here from the Salem Institute, and we welcome her warmly. I trust that you will all treat her with the respect that you show your own classmates, and will help show her the ways of Hogwarts."

In front of the teacher's tables was a stool, with what seemed to be a very old and worn hat sitting upon it. The witch motioned for her to sit on the stool, and the hat was placed upon her head. Closing her eyes to block the sight of everyone staring at her, she was surprised to hear a voice inside her ear talking to her. "Well well, an American in our midst. New to Hogwarts indeed. Let us see, Jennifer, there is a very wise mind, and plenty of bravery. Ravenclaw would suit you well, but the courage it takes to come here from so far away, then I think you'd best be in, "GRYFFINDOR!"__

Applause broke out, and Jennifer took the hat off. She made her way down to the long tables to find Hermione, Harry, and Ginny waving like mad for her to come sit with them. She slid in between Hermione and Ron, whose face had returned to its normal pallor. "Congratulations!" Hermione squealed, hugging Jennifer excitedly. For some reason, Hermione had been very nervous that Jennifer would be sorted into a different house, and felt immense relief when the sorting hat shouted Gryffindor. 

All the first years filed into the Great Hall behind the witch that escorted Jennifer to the hat (Jennifer found out that she was Professor McGonagall from Hermione), and sat sleepily while they were sorted. The fatigue of traveling was beginning to catch up with her, mingling with the hunger to create a wooziness that was not suiting her well. 

Once they were done, and dinner was done, Dumbledore stood up to make a speech and introduce some new people, but Jennifer was having a hard enough time keeping her eyes open to pay attention. The food here was wonderful, and had doubled her sleepiness. Her head drooped lower and lower, until she fell asleep.

Ron's eyes widened as Jennifer's head rested on his shoulder, and gestured wildly to Harry with his free arm. Harry just grinned wickedly, and whispered, "Looks like you've got a new friend, mate."

"What am I supposed to do?" he hissed. "This isn't funny!" Harry couldn't help but laugh at how helpless Ron became. Hermione, who had been paying attention to Professor Umbridge's speech, glared at them both.

"Shut it, will you?"

They rolled their eyes at each other, but Ron was distracted for only a second. Luckily for him, the tables were dismissed after Umbridge's lengthy speech, and he poked her arm gently. "Jennifer?"

Opening her eyes quickly, she blinked at the lights. "What?" Her hand came up to rub the sleepiness out her eyes, and she looked into Ron's face, which was too close for his comfort. "Did I fall asleep?" When he nodded, she looked worried. "Did I miss anything important?"

Harry spoke up when Ron's throat wouldn't seem to work. "Not that I could tell, but then again I lost interest. Ask Hermione."

"Hmph. You obviously weren't listening. This is bad, very bad." Three pairs of concerned eyes looked up at her, although Ron and Harry were used to her dramatizations, and weren't exactly worried. "This means the Ministry is trying to take over Hogwarts." 

Jennifer felt her stomach sink. If the Ministry was taking over, they were sure to make hell for her, the one that was supporting Dumbledore so openly.

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm suddenly. "Ron! We have to go take the first years. Let's go!" When they rushed off, Jennifer turned to Harry, very confused. 

"What was that about?"

"They're prefects, meaning they've got responsibilities." He shrugged it off, trying to sound like he didn't care. "I'll show you the shortcut to Gryffindor Tower, and if you stick with us, you won't get lost, which is very easy to do around here."

She smiled sleepily. "Thanks. I just want to get to bed, I feel like I've been falling asleep all over the place!"

They walked out together, and from behind Jennifer heard a shrill shriek. "Potter and the American! What a cuuute couple!" She could feel Harry stiffen beside her, and she willed him not to turn around. Sniggers were heard from behind as well, but they kept walking.

Out of earshot, Jennifer asked quietly, "Who was that?"

"Slytherins. Let's just say they're not my biggest fans." Harry scowled as he thought of Malfoy and his cronies. 

"I'm not surprised," she commented. "Voldemort and all his supporters came from Slytherin, right?"

Harry stopped and turned to face her incredulously. "You said his name!"

She shrugged. "I have no reason to fear him. Why should I fear his name?"

A few stragglers from the Great Hall walked past them, and they continued as well. Harry's mouth was still opened in shock. "You're the only person I've ever met that thinks that way. Everyone has reason to fear Voldemort."

"I've never heard him to target Americans," she replied. "Although, I probably am in danger now, since I've transferred here."

He nodded, it made sense, and he stopped her before a portrait of a huge lady in a pink silk dress. "Um…I don't know the password." 

Neville came up behind them and grinned at Harry. "I won't forget the password this year." He pet his cactus lovingly. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!"

"Correct." The portrait swung open to reveal a hole wide enough for someone to get through, and Harry went through without blinking. Jennifer followed, eyes open wide. They entered the Gryffindor common room that was filled with several inviting armchairs and a cozy fire. Harry pointed to a flight of stairs to the right. "That's the stairs to the girls dormitory. Your trunk should be up there already, Hermione too. She'll show you what you need to know."

Nodding, she started to head up the stairs, but before she got far she turned around and came back down. "Thank you," she said loudly, and Harry just nodded. Continuing up the stairs unsteadily, after all, she was still very tired, her head swam with everything that happened. 

Before she could go very far, Hermione's head stuck out of a doorway to her right. She looked very relieved. "There you are. You're in here, with the other fifth years." 

The room was furnished with six poster beds hung with heavy velvet curtains. Four out of the six's curtains were pulled around the bed, shielding the occupant from view, and Hermione pointed to one that was open. "That's yours. Your trunk is at the end of the bed, and your owl will be in the Owlery." 

"Thanks. Night." Jennifer noticed that Hermione was already dressed in her pajamas and robe, and began rummaging through her trunk to find her own. 

"Good night. See you in the morning."

Sliding into bed, she felt very warm and comfortable. _'This will be good,'_ she thought as her eyes closed, _'I will be happy here.'_ That was her last thought as she drifted off… _'I will be happy'_


	4. Fitting In

**Chapter Four: Fitting In**  
  
Hermione was fixing her hair when she heard it, the first gossip of the year. "What do you think about the new girl, Jennifer?" Parvati said, not bothering at all to lower her voice. She felt the bristles on the back of her neck rise in anger, and she stopped to listen to the reply.  
  
"Shhh!" Lavender scolded, and then replied in a quiet tone, "She supports Dumbledore, and my parents told me he was a crackpot, so I guess I'll have to watch out for her."  
  
Hermione whipped around and faced them "You do realize she's in the room, don't you?"  
  
They both gave her a look of venom before hurrying out of the room, their cloaks rustling loudly through the door. Jennifer's bed curtains moved to reveal her, sitting on top of the covers, looking methodical.  
  
"You heard that." Hermione stated as Jennifer slid off the four poster bed. The look on Jennifer's face was surprisingly calm.  
  
"Yes," she said, "but I was expecting it, so no surprise."  
  
Hermione's forehead wrinkled as she tried to reason out her behavior. "Doesn't it bother you?"  
  
Jennifer shrugged, which was difficult, considering she was putting on her school tie. "If I let everyone bother me, I wouldn't last a week. Besides, other's opinions of me have never mattered. I am who I am, and they can deal with that." She straightened up, "Want to show me how to get to breakfast?" she smiled, "I have a feeling I'm going to be getting lost a lot."  
  
"I'm glad you're here," Hermione said suddenly, eyes locked on Jennifer's.  
  
Jennifer's smile widened. "Me too."  
  
They made their way to the Great Hall, with Hermione pointing out various landmarks along the way. Harry and Ron weren't in the common room, and they found the two with loaded plates at the Gryffindor table, looking over their schedules.  
  
"Look, mate, we've got Umbridge first," Ron said thickly, mouth stuffed with sausage, "I wonder how that's gonna go."  
  
"Not well," Hermione said dryly, picking up Jennifer and hers schedules that were lying next to Harry. "Thanks for getting ours," she added, sitting next to Harry. Jennifer sat on the opposite side of them, next to Ron.  
  
"So," she said gaily, "Give me the scoop on the teachers."  
  
Ron, who looked altogether nervous, just grabbed his goblet and gulped down some pumpkin juice. Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes together, and began pointing to her schedule.  
  
"Umbridge. You know as much about her as we do. Hagrid is our mate, but you have to be careful around his creatures. Binns, most boring thing—He's a ghost—McGonagall, she's fair but strict, Flitwick is vertically challenged, but his class is always fun, and..." at this point Hermione let out a little squeal that did not suit her at all, "You've got Arithmancy too! I've been dying to have a friend in that class!"  
  
Nodding, Jennifer reclaimed her schedule. "I was the top of my class at Salem, so the transfer shouldn't be too bad," she remarked, nonchalant.  
  
Harry and Ron sniggered. "Looks like you've got some competition now, Hermione," Ron said, grinning at the way she reacted when Jennifer said she was top in her class. "Be nice."  
  
She merely glared at him. "Oh shut up, Ron."  
  
Jennifer didn't seem to notice the exchange, but commented randomly, eyes towards the entrance of the Great Hall, "the portrait..."  
  
Harry glanced at her. "What portrait?"  
  
"Huh?" she asked, raising her head as if from a stupor. "Oh, oh just something I had a dream about. It's nothing."  
  
They continued their breakfasts, but the three old friends kept glancing at each other strangely, all noticing Jennifer's odd behavior. No one said anything out of sheer politeness, but each one was contemplating it as they entered Professor Umbridge's classroom.  
  
To recap the lesson would be pointless; they only read to themselves, that is, after Harry and Jennifer were both issued detentions for 'telling lies'. Both were seething by the end of the class, and stormed out.  
  
Jennifer was seeing red and didn't notice which way she was going until her vision cleared and she realized she was lost. In frustration she pounded her fist into the corridor wall until it hurt too much. Students she could stand, she expected to be a spectacle among them; but having a teacher tell her that what she believed in was a lie...now that was something she did not expect to hear when she came to Hogwarts.  
  
"Jennifer?" Hermione's voice reached her ears from a distance, the tone soft and comforting. "Are you okay?"  
  
Still facing the walls, she bit her lip to stop the tears from sliding down her face. "Yea," she whispered, "I'll be fine."  
  
After a few minutes her breathing calmed, and she turned to face Hermione, eyes dry. "So," she said, a little too cheerfully, "How do we get to Arithmancy?"  
  
"I can tell this year is gonna be the worst," Ron groaned as he and Harry trudged away from their first Divination class of the year. "Can you believe all the homework that old hag is throwing on us?"  
  
Harry chose not to respond, merely puling his book bag further up onto his shoulder. They walked in silence for several minutes before Ron couldn't take the quiet anymore. "Its strange to think that Hermione isn't sitting by herself right now."  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows. "What?"  
  
Looking fixedly at the floor, Ron continued, "Well, think about it. It's been the three of us for four years, and suddenly we have a stranger with us. A nice stranger," he added hastily at Harry's frown, "But, you know? Someone new. That takes some getting used to."  
  
"Yea, I guess." Harry's respect for the new girl had risen considerably during their joint confrontation in Umbridge's classroom. He hadn't been expecting Umbridge to undermine everything he respected and was taken by surprise and let his guard down. Jennifer had objected loudly, and Umbridge turned her claws to the poor girl too, promptly issuing them joint detentions. She had then concluded that both Jennifer and Harry had moral problems, and that they would be sorted out so that their deranged way of thinking wouldn't spread.  
  
It was very hard not to jinx her.  
  
"She stood up to Umbridge," Harry said after a pause, "So I think she'll fit in."  
  
"Yea," Ron agreed, grinning. "That was bloody cool of her."  
  
"And stupid," a drawling voice called out from around a corner. Malfoy sauntered out into their path, eyes wide and dangerous. "You're going to regret messing with the ministry, Potty."  
  
"And you're gonna regret interrupting our conversation when my fist smashes into your skull, Malfoy." Ron snarled, face starting to burn red.  
  
"Ooohh, is the weasel mad?" he sneered, "Can you see me trembling with fear?"  
  
Ron lunged, but Harry grabbed his arms, which left Ron struggling into the air. "He's not worth it, mate. He's just trying to get you in trouble."  
  
Malfoy snickered at the expression on Ron's face. "I guess I'll leave Potty and the Weasel to sort out their problems," he laughed, turning the corner to go to dinner with Crabbe and Goyle, who had been waiting as backup.  
  
"He's slime," Harry said condolingly, "Ignore him."  
  
Ron didn't respond, and his face was still crimson when they reached the Great Hall. Jennifer and Hermione were deep in discussion, and, judging by the open Arithmancy textbooks in front of them, it was about the lesson they just had. They both looked up when Ron threw his Divination book on the table with a reverberating thud.  
  
Harry just shook his head when Hermione opened her mouth to inquire. Jennifer didn't catch the interaction, however, and asked cheerfully, "How was Divination? When are you gonna die, Harry?"  
  
"How'd you know?" Ron gasped, anger momentarily forgotten.  
  
"All Divination teachers are predicting a students death as a warm up for the year." She smiled a little guiltily, "And Hermione told me about Professor Trelawny on the way to class."  
  
"Sometime next week," Harry muttered, sliding down into his seat, "And hopefully it's before her class."  
  
He and Ron started to load their plates, but Ron stopped suddenly, banging down his fork. "Before we get out of here," Ron declared, "I'm going to murder Malfoy."  
  
Hermione snapped her head up. "What happened?" she half whispered, glancing at the head table.  
  
Harry kept his eyes on his plate, uninterested in the topic. "Same was usual; he threatened, Ron got red, and I held him back." He looked up briefly and saw Hermione staring intently at him. "What?"  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
Giving her a strange look, he replied, "He said something like don't mess with the ministry. He heard me and Ron talking about Umbridge. Why?"  
  
"I don't know," she muttered into her lap, and she was presently lost in thought.  
  
After dinner, they returned to the Gryffendor common room, Jennifer carefully marking the way. She was lucky, so far, to have people escorting her to and from class, but she was still mapping the castle in her mind. She planned to draw it out when she returned to the Gryffendor tower.  
  
Ron collapsed onto an armchair, letting out a loud sigh. "I'm going to sit here and not make up my Divination homework."  
  
"Sounds like a great idea," Harry agreed, mimicking him on a different chair. Hermione's disapproving scowl gave Harry some motivation, however, and he sat up with great effort, groaning as he did so. "Come on, mate, we'll just get it over with."  
  
"Are you channeling Hermione?" was the muted reply, as Ron's face was mushed into the cushions.  
  
"And things are back to normal," Hermione muttered to Jennifer, who had gotten her Arithmancy work out. She smiled briefly, but began concentrating and working fast. They all worked in silence for an hour, which was difficult considering that Fred and George were advertising their need for test subjects very loudly.  
  
Jennifer shut her Arithmancy textbook quietly, and retreated to the dormitory without attracting the attention of anyone.  
  
She was gone for nearly half an hour before anyone noticed. "Hey," Harry said quizzically, "Where'd she go?"  
  
"Hmm?" Hermione asked without looking up.  
  
"Jennifer. She's gone."  
  
The common room was still full; the night was young and most were too excited by the first day to actually get any sleep, and neither could see Jennifer among them.  
  
Parvati and Lavender came into the common room from the girl's dormitories. They saw Harry and Hermione looking around, and walked over to them. "Are you looking for your new friend?" Parvati asked Hermione, completely ignoring Harry.  
  
"Well," Lavender started, "We were just going up the dormitory, and she was there, and it was so strange! The floors were wooden, the walls were mirrors, and there was a ballet bar. She was in the middle, doing ballerina things. It was so cool," she breathed. "She's got music on too, coming from this box thing."  
  
"That's not possible," Hermione interrupted, "Electricity doesn't function here."  
  
Lavender and Parvati drew up, offended. "Fine, go see with your own eyes, Hermione," Lavender sniffed, and they turned away to go talk with Dean and Seamus on the other side of the common room.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione. "Was she talking about a radio?"  
  
"I think so. I'm going to go see what's up."  
  
When Hermione poked her head around the door, she gasped. The walls _were_ mirrors, the floors polished wood. The beds stood to the side, and the room just seemed so much bigger. Her eyes found the questionable radio, and it was in fact, letting out a beautiful melody of classical music. Jennifer was in the middle of it all, moving with the music, doing leg tricks and leaps. She watched for five full minutes, mesmerized by the graceful movements. Jennifer ended with a flourish, and glanced up in the mirror.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
She stepped into the room, and looked around even more. "How the hell did you do this, Jennifer? This is amazing!"  
  
"Oh, it's a special charm I learned from my Charms teacher at Salem so that I can practice wherever I go." Her face was pink from exertion, but she took the break to stretch out her legs. "The only hesitation I ever had about going to a magical school was the fact that it was a boarding school, which meant dance lessons would be nearly impossible. I found a way around it though, when I went to my Charms teacher. She did it for me every night until I could do it myself. I usually used an empty classroom, but since I don't know my way around yet, I stole the dormitory."  
  
"I can show you one," Hermione said, running her hand over the bar, "How does the radio work?" she inquired, bending down to look at it.  
  
"Oh, that's something I modified so that I could use it in Salem. The only problem is I haven't figured out how to switch the cds I want to use, so its been playing the same one for five years," she laughed, sitting in the splits. "Hey, I'm only going to be another half hour, and I get nervous when my friends watch me..."  
  
"Oh!" Hermione stood up swiftly and walked towards the door, "I'll make sure to tell everyone else to stay away for a little bit."  
  
Jennifer smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"So," Hermione lingered at the door, "Did you enjoy your first full day at Hogwarts?"  
  
"For the most part."  
  
"Good." Hermione walked down the dormitory stairs slowly. "This is going to be interesting," she whispered to no one in particular. Ron and Harry were both too occupied to notice her return, and she sat in her seat.  
  
"Very interesting."

**TBC...**


End file.
